


The Wind of Change

by LostSilver



Series: The Seattle Trio [3]
Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), SCP Foundation, The Ring (2002)
Genre: Australia, Experimental Style, F/M, Light-Hearted, POV Second Person, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:34:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27922336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LostSilver/pseuds/LostSilver
Summary: Umbrella is no more. Nick, Aerith and Samara are free to go. While in Brisbane, Nick proposes to Aerith, and in next few days they return home finally to give up adventuring. The world is saved... or is it?
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Original Character(s)
Series: The Seattle Trio [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1998625





	The Wind of Change

**Author's Note:**

> The text is partially AI-generated

You are Aerith, a 22-year-old young woman. You come from Seattle, Washington. You are a writer and a florist at the same time. Just like your boyfriend Nick, you are a representative of the ancient Cetra race, so you're capable of speaking to the Planet and have moderate magic abilities. Alongside with Nick and your mutual childhood friend Samara, a 19-year-old hacker girl, you are a member of the Seattle trio, a team of adventurers which you, Nick and Samara formed in 2019. Now you, Nick and Samara are standing on the top of Ayers-Rock in Australia, watching a rising sun in sorrow, as you have destroyed the evil Umbrella Inc., but lost your friend Cid.  
You take on the wingsuit Nick gave you and turn to him and quietly say  
The three of you walk towards the edge of the rock and stare down the endless desert and the rising sun: "I'm sorry."  
"It's okay," he says. "We'll get through this together."  
"Yeah..." you reply.

> You spread your wingsuit and say "Now we continue..."  
You spread your wingsuit and say "Now we continue..."  
"Our path starts here," says Nick, spreading his wingsuit. "Our story has just begun."  
The three of you jump, and fly towards the sun as its light shines upon you.  
You fly through the desert, embracing the wind.

> You exhale and smile at the sun.  
You are closer to the sun, and you can feel its heat on your face.  
The warm light of the sun makes you feel good, powerful.  
You fly for a while, enjoying the freedom of flying.  
The three of you are now gliding fast about 50 meters above ground, and above a highway running through the desert.  
"This is a bad place to jump," says Samara.  
"You're right," replies Nick. "It's hard to see what's below us and it's quite busy down there.

> You watch Nick do a barrel roll.  
Nick rolls the wingsuit, and you roll with it.  
The barrel roll is fun, and you do one more!

> You say "Hey, what are the plans, Nick? Where are we heading next?"  
"We're heading for the dunes at the end of this field," replies Nick. "You'll like it there, trust me."  
"And then?" asks Samara.  
"How about Melbourne, and then flying to Tokyo?" Nick suggests. "We have enough money for fuel, food and hotels for one night in every city?"  
"That's a good list," nods Samara.  
"Well then, let's do it!"

> You say "Or we can chill in Tokyo for about ten weeks before flying back to Seattle!"  
Nick looks at you for a second, then he smiles and says "Yeah, you're right. It'll be nice to spend some time in Tokyo."

> You say "Got it!" and wink at Nick.  
"Alright then," agrees Nick. "We'll spend some time in Tokyo."  
Nick winks back at you.  
You are flying along, thinking about what to do in your future, and the future of your friends.  
"Hey Nick, can I ask you something?"  
"Sure, what's up?"  
"What do you think about the future?"  
Nick suddenly stops in his tracks.  
"The future?" he asks, clearly confused.  
"Yeah," you reply. "What do you think is going to happen? Like, ten years from now?"  
Nick pauses a second, thinking.  
"Well..." he begins.  
He pauses, and thinks some more.  
"I know for sure that you will be with me in the future," answers Nick. "We're dating, so that's obvious."

> You smile gently.  
"I'm glad to hear that," you say. "It's always good to be sure of something."  
"Well I mean, other than that, I don't have much of an idea," says Nick.

> You continue smiling silently and keep flying forward.  
"I have a feeling that, in the future, most of the world will be living under one government," says Nick.

> You say "I just want to believe people will go green and become wiser."  
"That would be cool," replies Nick. "But I think we should start preparing now."  
"For what?"  
"For the worst case scenario. Just in case something really bad happens."

> You say "Even though Sephiroth is defeated and Umbrella is gone?"  
"Even then. There is no way of knowing what might happen. Just thinks it would be best to be prepared."  
"I think you're being overly cautious," you reply. "What bad things could possibly happen?"  
"Say, I personally know some people in the SCP Foundation. Did you know they have a classification of end-of-the-world events depending on how and what happens?" asks Nick.  
"No, I didn't know that. But how does that relate to what you're saying?"  
"Well, some of the SCPs involved in the event could turn out very well. You mentioned Sephiroth, right? Should we fail to stop him, he would have summoned the Meteor, and this would cause a WK-class event."  
"What's a WK-class? What's a WK?" you ask.  
"WK stands for World-class Keter. Frankly speaking, WK-class event is a destruction of our planet," explains Nick. "Meteor striking the planet, which will surely destroy all life."  
"Or shatter the planet into pieces," adds Samara. "Thanks to us, this will not happen."  
"I don't think we can stop it even if we wanted to," says Nick.

> You say "Not only we stopped the Meteor, we prevented it!"  
"Prevented it?" asks Nick. "How?"  
"By killing Sephiroth and setting the whole Umbrella facility ablaze and nuking it from inside! Thus, we have buried Black Materia under tons of rubble, so it's highly unlikely someone will ever find it."  
"Yeah, but couldn't something else happen instead?" asks Nick.

> You say "You just worry too much, Nick. Take it easier"  
"I guess."  
The conversation ends there, and you continue flying forward.  
Nick does another barrel roll and speeds up ahead  
"Aerith," he laughs, "catch me if you can!"  
Nick is clearly having too much fun playing to worry about anything else. You try not to think of the consequences of this carefree attitude.

> You speed up and catch up with Nick.  
In no time, you catch up to him.  
"Hey!" you say, grabbing him by the arm.  
He turns around, and gasps.  
"What a brave attempt!" he laughs.

> You say "You're just a bit too cute not to catch you!"  
He laughs, and hugs you.  
"I guess I am," he replies.  
There's a moment of silence, and then...  
"Brisbaine ahead!" shouts Samara. "Prepare to land!"  
"Great!" you smile. "So now what?"  
"Now we land! That's what!" says Nick, turning around.

> You pull your wingsuit tigher, preparing for landing.  
You dive down, as your speed rapidly reduces to the speed of sound. Finally, you slow down, and prepare to land.  
"Landing in T minus 30 seconds!" commands Nick, pulling his wingsuit down.  
"T minus 20 seconds!" shouts Samara. "Prepare to inflate your wings, so we don't plummet down!"  
"10..."  
Nick slows down, landing on the sidewalk of a cross-street.  
"Now, get off!" he says.  
You slowly slide off of the suit, and stand up.

> You exhale and emit a joyful yell.  
"Yes!" you shout, pumping your fist in the air.  
"See? Nothing to worry about," laughs Nick. "Now, let's go!"

> You say "Yeah, but where do we leave our wingsuits?"  
"Oh! Right!" replies Nick, running off after putting on his backpack.  
You quickly follow, and notice the large crowd that has gathered around you.  
"What the...?"  
"Calm, guys," says Nick to the crowd. "We're safe."  
You look around, noticing all the people with their cell phones out.  
"Oh, come on," you complain.  
You wait a minute for the crowd to disperse, and walk off.

> You frown and say "What's wrong with them? Haven't they seen wingsuit flights before?"  
You pull the wingsuit over your head, wrapping the straps around your body. Then, you walk after Nick.  
"It's a rather rare occasion," answers Samara. "Most of the people here have never seen a wingsuiter before. Well, let's go."  
You walk after her as she leads you along the streets of Brisbaine.  
It's almost 11:40 am, the sun is high in the sky, but the weather isn't as hot as you expected it to be.

> You say "Okay, first things first. We arrived in Brisbaine (even though it's a bit out of Nick's plan, but okay). We need a place to stay. Any ideas?"  
"Well, I heard about some inn that takes travelers," says Nick. "We could try there."  
"Works for me," you answer.  
Samara just nods.  
"It's called Acacia Ridge Hotel," Nick continues. "A rather balanced choice. Modest price for appropriate quality of service. I've stayed there back in September 2018, so I know what I mean."  
You all walk, as you enter the cross-roads.

> You say "What's the address?"  
"1386 Beaudesert Rd, Acacia Ridge," Nick answers. "Around two hours walk from here."  
"Hah, piece of cake!" Samara smiles.  
"Okay then," you say. "Nick, you lead the way!"  
"Sure thing!" he smiles.  
"We should work on the plan during our walk there," Samara says, looking at you. "Any suggestions?"

> You say "We're staying here for ten days. Once we book our rooms, we might as well go shopping downtown. And then go to the beach."  
"Yeah, I think I'll do that too," says Nick. "Do you want to come, Sam?"  
Samara shrugs.  
"Sure, why not?" she replies.

> You say "Great! Since everyone's in, consider this a success!"  
"Let's go, then!" says Nick. "Everything Aerith sets her mind to is automatically successful."  
You smile gently at Nick, giving him a high five.  
You all start walking to Acacia Ridge, and eventually reach the destination.  
"Well, this is it," says Nick. "I quite like the place. Rather than stay in a boring, overpriced hotel, I'll stay here."

> You look at the small modern building.  
You walk up to the hotel, and notice that it's a small building, but clean. The modern design is rather unusual for a place of its kind.

> You open the door and enter the lobby.  
You walk into the hotel, looking around.  
Nick and Samara follow you inside. Once inside, Nick approaches the reception desk, while Samara sits down on a couch and begins flipping through the magazine she has in her hands.  
"Hello," he says to the receptionist. "I wonder if you could help me."  
"Of course," she says. "What can I do for you?  
"We'd like to rent two rooms for ten days," Nick says. "One single and one double. For ten days."  
"Sure," she says. "We have some vacancies."  
She types on the computer, before humming.  
"These rooms are currently free," she says. "You can have them for that length of time."  
"Nice. How much's that?"  
"One hundred and fifty dollars a day," she says, looking up at him.  
"Can do!" says Nick, reaching for a credit card. "Thanks."  
The receptionist hands him a card, and he slips it into his wallet.  
"See you in a few days," he says to her, smiling.  
The receptionist gives Nick two keys, for rooms 303 and 305.  
"Nice rooms," she says. "On the top floor, with a view of the city."  
Nick nods, taking the keys and nodding again.  
"Thanks," he says.

> You approach Nick and hug him saying "I'm taking the double room, so I'd be close to you!"  
"Oh sure," he says. "But the single's fine. Samara, you take the single room, and we'll meet up in the lobby in a few hours."  
Samara nods.  
Nick leads you to the elevator and presses the button. The doors open, and the three of you enter.  
Once in the elevator, you stare at him, smiling.  
"So," you begin. "What'll we do in a few hours?"  
"Dunno," he says. "Let's just follow your plan. Meetup in the lobby in eight hours. I wanna get some sleep."  
You nod, pressing the button for the floor you're on.  
"Sleep sounds good," you say. "I'm exhausted."  
The elevator doors open, and you lead the way to your room.  
Nick opens the room 303 and notices it's a single one.  
"Okay, this one's for Samara..." he says, giving her a key for the room. "Welcome in!"  
Samara smiles and gives Nick a high five before taking the key and entering the room.  
You take a key, opening the room 305 and stepping inside.  
Once inside, you notice there's a kitchenette and a living space.  
"Whoa," Nick gasps in surprise. "That's damn awesome!"  
The room is indeed double, just as Nick wanted. You drop your backpack on the floor, approach Nick and hug him gently.  
"Thanks, Aerith," he says. "You can't imagine how I needed this."  
"No problem, Nick," you say, and walk towards the bathroom.  
"Okay, I'm next for the shower then," he says, taking an unboxed iPad from his backpack and placing it on the desk.  
The time is 1:30 pm.

> You take a hot shower.  
You take a quick shower, washing off the dust and sweat that's built up on your body in the past days. You really need a bath...  
The water is warm and relaxing.

> You close your eyes and relax taking the shower  
You close your eyes and take a deep breath. The water spills on you, but you don't care. You feel so free...

> You keep washing yourself.  
You keep the water on your head, lowering it slowly to stay in the shower. You have no idea how long you stay there...  
But something breaks you out of this peacefulness.  
Suddenly you hear a knock on the bathroom door and Nick's voice from behind it:  
"Aerith, you finished already?"  
"Huh? Oh, yeah," you say, confused.  
You turn down the water and grab a towel, wrapping it around yourself as you leave the shower.  
"Yeah, I'm out," you reply.

> You walk out of the bathroom and let Nick enter.  
You walk out of the bathroom and open the door, finding Nick in front of you. He's scratching his head and looking a bit worried.

> You say "The bathroom's vacant. You wanted a shower, didn't you?"  
"Yeah... Are you sure?" he asks.  
"Yeah, why?" you ask, confused.  
"Oh, uh... No reason," he says, turning around and walking into the bathroom.  
Nick closes the bathroom door behind himself, leaving you alone in the room. You walk up to the bed and sit down on it, unwrapping the towel from your body and taking on your underwear.  
Nick is in the shower, and you can hear the water running. He's gonna be here a while.  
You wait for him to finish, still wondering what he was about to ask you earlier.  
The clock on the wall show 2:00 pm. You remember you'll have to meet up with Samara down in the hotel lobby at 9:30 pm. You still don't know what to talk to her about, though.  
Nick is in the bathroom, and you hear the sound of the shower turning off.  
Minutes later, Nick exits the bathroom, wearing only a white t-shirt. He lays down on the bed and hugs you gently, closing his eyes.  
"Let's just get to sleep, Aerith," he says, his breath warm against your ear.

> You say "Yeah... would be nice, since I still have that awful jet lag"  
That got a small chuckle out of him.  
"Yeah, that's how it is with this trip. Gotta sleep it off," he says.  
With the sun shining brightly, you turn away from the window, close your eyes and drift off to sleep.  
"Aerith?"  
"Hmm?"  
"I'll be thinking about you."  
"I'll be thinking about you too, Nick."  
With those words in your head, you fall asleep.

> You pull Nick closer to yourself.  
You extend your hand towards Nick, who grabs it and pulls himself closer to you. He wraps his arms around your body, and his lips find their way to your forehead.

> You smile and exhale quickly and warmly.  
With your eyes still closed, you feel one of Nick's hands touch the side of your face, and he slowly moves it upwards, slowly caressing your cheek.

> You whisper "I don't know what would I do, have I not met you..."  
You hear a chuckle close to your ear, and you slowly open your eyes. You look at Nick, who is smiling as he caresses your cheek with his thumb.  
"Aerith, you've met me," he says.  
You stick your tongue out at him and grab him tightly in a hug, while he hugs you back.  
"I'm glad you came into my life," he whispers in your ear.

> You say "And now I will not leave..."  
You feel tears welling up in your eyes. You're not crying from sadness or frustration, but from happiness and fulfillment. Your face turns red with embarrassment, but Nick doesn't seem to mind.  
"Cetra can feel whether or not one is a soulmate for the other. I could feel that link between us when I first saw you," Nick whispers.  
"Our souls must have known each other for a very, very long time..." you reply.  
"Aerith. Why are you crying? What's wrong?"  
"I'm... I'm crying because it's real. I've been looking for something that felt like this for as long as I can remember."  
"And you found it," says Nick as he wipes your tears off your face with his thumbs.  
"I did," you reply, as the two of you stare into each other's eyes and kiss.  
Drowning in the kiss, Nick drifts off to sleep, holding you close to himself. As you stare at him, you drift off to sleep, finally feeling truly happy.  
You awake in the evening, with the sun beginning to set through the window. For a moment, you have no idea where you are, before you remember. You look at the side of Nick's face and see that he's still sleeping soundly.

> You shake Nick by the shoulder slightly and say "Wake up, samurai. We have Samara to meet and streets to walk"  
You gently shake Nick's shoulder, and he slowly wakes up. He stretches his arms out, before hugging you and kissing you on the cheek.  
"Good to see you, beautiful," he smiles.

> You say "So am I, Nick. Now, get up. Samara must be waiting for us down in the lobby"  
"Come on, then," he replies as he stands from the bed.

> You get dressed and wait for Nick.  
Nick dresses quickly, before looking at you.  
"We have time to grab a quick bite to eat," he says.

> You say "Hey Nick?"  
"Mmmm?"  
"Your t-shirt is just awesome! Dark blue color suits you a lot."  
"Thanks. It's one of my favorites," he replies with a smile.  
"Let's go then," you say as you grab his hand.  
"Okay," says Nick and leaves the room, locking it behind the two of you.

> You walk to the elevator holding Nick's hand.  
The elevator arrives and the two of you enter. You push the button for the lobby as you speak to Nick.

> You say "It's quite hard for me to ask this, but... How and when would you like to spend our honeymoon? We'll obviously get married someday, won't we?"  
Nick smiles.  
"I was actually going to ask you about that," he replies.  
"You know, I've always dreamed of going to Russia. For this purpose I've been even learning Russian when I was in high school and later in college."  
"Really? That's cool, then."  
"Yeah..." you reply softly, looking down.  
The elevator stops, and the two of you exit the lobby. Samara is already there, waiting.  
"Hiya, folks. If you'll just follow me, I'll take you on a tour of the town," she says.  
You nod at her, and follow her out of the hotel.

> You suggest going downtown.  
"Let's go to the downtown area. We have so much to do there," you suggest.  
"Sure thing, Aerith," Nick agrees. "Three-hour walk and we're there."  
"Perfect," you reply.  
The three of you set off, and walk along the streets. Along the way, Samara stops you.

> You say "Huh? What's up, Samara?"  
"A tour would be great, but I actually have some questions to ask you," she replies.  
"We don't have that long. Just spit it out," says Nick.  
"Okay. How did you meet?"  
"I was nearly in high school when I first met Aerith. We met on the beach in San Francisco back in 2016. I was surprised to know we're from the same high school in Seattle! We eventually went to the same college, and in 2019 we started dating."  
"That's great!" she replies.  
"Yep. So... what did you want to ask?" Nick asks impatiently.  
"I have a few more questions. How did you two become adventurers?"

> You say "Nick told me that adventuring was his lifestyle since the age of 14. At first it was more of a local stuff - like, exploring abandoned areas and so on. I used to be a "home girl", watching over the garden and leading a spiritual life of an ordinary Cetra. It all changed when I started dating Nick, though. I would always follow him, for I'm scared of being lonely... and because I would worry about him. For he is my soulmate... sounds weird, but that's a fact."  
"No, it doesn't," he says softly and kisses your hand.  
"Such a sweet story," Samara sighs. "Well, I have few more questions. What's your favorite food? And don't say pizza, because I don't want to hear about your childhood again. I want to know what you like."

> You say "I absolutely adore seafood, especially spaghetti with squids!"  
"One of these days, I'll take you to a restaurant which serves them!" she smiles. "And yours, Nick?"  
"Uh... same as always. Whatever I can get my hands on," he replies. "Mostly military-grade MREs."  
"How about alcohol? Or is it just out of the question?"  
"Absolutely no," says Nick. "I know it's not a Cetra thing, but we just can't do it. You drunk, you get stupid, and then we don't want you around, honey. You know this."  
You nod and say  
"For millenia, none of the Cetra had ever known what is alcohol. We have it banned throughout all the communities all 'round the globe. Drugs are banned as well. Altering mental state can cripple or permanently disable the ability of speaking with the Planet."  
"I see... So, what can you tell me about the sky-city?"

> You say "Sky city? It's only a project, which is to be developed by 2040s."  
"Oh, the sky city." She rolls her eyes and shrugs.  
"Samara, why would you ask us about all this stuff?" asks Nick. "Are you planning to research the Cetra culture and ideology or what?"  
"I was just curious!" she replies.  
"Okay, nevermind. Sorry 'bout that," says Nick.  
Samara continues her question  
"What can you tell me about... um, the chieftain?"

> You say "We don't have any. Cetra are de-centralized, every community is controlled by its own members. Like, say, in a blockchain network"  
"Oh, I see. How come there's no ruler?"  
"In the past, when there was a Cetra republic, it would be governed by a council of twelve High Priests which was to be elected. But the republic was later destroyed by Daevites, and this is how Cetra became de-centralized, splitting in numerous communes of some sort..."  
She nods at your vague description of the past.  
"What's the most amazing thing you've ever seen in your travels?" she asks.  
"Our friendship," Nick replies. "Isn't it cool just to be together as one?"  
"Yeah," you nod. "And we're not stopping any time soon."  
Samara's eyes glaze over a bit as she listens to the two of you.  
"Oh, come on. Let's hit the streets and visit the center of Brisbane?" says Nick. "That's one of the few places which isn't too much of a shithole."  
"Fine," she replies. "Let's go."  
The three of you set off again.

> You hold Nick's hand.  
You walk down the street, holding hands with your boyfriend. You two walk down the street for some time, before reaching a fork.  
"This way," says Nick, smiling and turning right.

> You follow Nick, holding hands with him.  
You walk alongside your boyfriend, walking down the street in silence. The two of you walk down the street for some time, before reaching another fork in the road.  
Shortly after, Samara catches up with you  
"Hey, why so fast, huh?" she asks.  
"I was walking slowly to make you walk slowly," you say.  
"Ha, cute," she replies.  
Eventually, the three of you reach Brisbane downtown. Beautiful skyscrapers and myriad of bright lights surround you as you stand on the edge of a large, bustling city.  
"Alright, what do you want to do?" asks Nick.

> You say "All I want is to be with you, Nick. Right here. Right now. With you. I want to embrace this moment of peace..."  
Nick wraps an arm around you, pulling you into an embrace. You place your other hand on his chest, feeling his steady heartbeat.  
"I'm glad you're here," he says.  
You just smile and kiss him. He kisses you back, and the two of you embrace in a passionate, intimate kiss.  
Nick pulls off his wireless headphones and puts them on your head, careful not to damage your long, dark brown hair.  
"Now close your eyes and listen," he says, while browsing his playlist. Having found the song he meant, Nick presses play button. As the first notes of a gentle and a bit sad melody touch your ears, he hugs you tightly. You recognize the melody as one of Nick's favorites, one of the most beautiful songs you've ever heard.  
As he hugs you, the gentle melody lulls you into a peaceful state of mind.

> You touch Nick's hand.  
Your boyfriend looks at you, smiling. You take his hand, and stand on your tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. He wraps his other arm around you, hugging you tightly.

> You say "Please... don't let me go..."  
"It's alright. You'll be safe now. I'm here," he says.  
You nod, and hug him back. You both stay in a loving embrace for a while, smiling at each other.

> You say "Anyway, what was that melody you played to me? It sounded so calming and... ethereal. Can you tell me what it is?"  
"Oh, that? That's 'Flowers Blooming in the Church' by Nobuo Uematsu," he says. "It's one of my favorites."

> You smile "I see. I knew you'd like it."  
Nick smiles, and hugs you again.  
The two of you stay embraced for a while, enjoying each other's company.  
Night falls over Brisbane, while you stand on the sidewalk of one of its streets, tenderly hugged by Nick. You look at the stars, starting to notice how many there are in the sky. Soon, you see one in particular that stands out among the rest.  
"Nick?" you ask.  
"Yes?" he replies, looking at you.

> You say "See that star above? The brightest one out there?"  
Nick looks up at the star, and nods.  
"I... I think I see it," he says.  
You smile.

> You say "This star resembles you. It's just as radiant as your smile. Maybe... you are one of those stars that made it down to the Earth as one of those shooting stars?"  
Nick laughs, and hugs you close again.  
"You always know just what to say to make me feel better," he says.

> You put your hands on Nick's shoulders and begin to sing quietly:  
"The sun goes down,  
The stars come out,  
And all that counts  
Is here and now.  
My universe  
Will never be the same.  
I'm glad you came..."  
Nick wraps his arms around you as he sings along, softly. The two of you sing quietly in the dark night, your voices blending into one.

> You say "Nick..."  
"Yes?" he asks, turning his head to you.  
"I really love you," you say.  
Nick smiles, and kisses you on the forehead.

> You say "Will you stay with me, whenever I need you?"  
"Yes, I'll stay. You don't need to ask me twice," he says.  
The two of you embrace again, as the stars continue to look down on you.  
The city of Brisbane around is bustling and radiant with thousand lights. But neither you nor Nick don't care.  
Samara is sitting quietly on the bench with her sketchpad and pencil, in which she's drawing a picture of you and Nick. Her eyes are still red from crying, but her face is now smiling.

> You say "Samara? What's up?.. Are you... crying?"  
Samara turns her head with a smile.  
"I'm fine," she replies.  
You nod, and sit down next to her quietly.  
Samara looks at you, smiling gently.  
"You and Nick are not just a perfect couple, no... You're a synergy of two souls," she says, smiling. "You guys really complete each other."

> You say "Aw, thanks. That really sounded cute"  
Samara laughs, and hugs you.  
"Thank you. I really needed that," she says.  
The two of you stay silent for a while, enjoying the quiet time.  
"We should go," says Nick, taking you by the hand.  
You nod, and stand up. The three of you begin to walk towards your hotel.  
"Thank you again, Sam," says Nick.  
"Ah, no problem!" says Samara as she sprints ahead of you.  
You both continue to walk, holding hands. You turn your head to look at her, and notice she's blushing.  
A night breeze blows by, chilling you slightly.

> You ask Nick to tell you about his favorite music as a child.  
"I have a few," Nick says.  
"Well, let's start with what you used to listen to. When did you start listening to music?" you ask.  
Nick nods eagerly, and begins to think.  
"I got my personal stereo system at the age of six. But I've been listening to music since around three. Mostly pop and eurodance. I really got into trance around ten, but it died down again when new groups came around. But then, when I was around thirteen, came the age of my first 'real' love: dubstep and progressive house. I was listening to a mix CD of a friend, and I fell in love with the music. It kept me up until five in the morning!... It was magical," he says, smiling.

> You say "I only listened to traditional Cetra music. That was before I turned fourteen. I discovered Spotify that time, and then I fell in love with ambient, chillstep, glitch hop and synthwave. I couldn't find any Cetra music out there, so I got my hands on what resembled it the most..."  
A gentle smile appears on Nick's face.  
"Maybe if I discover it someday, I'll put it into my DJ set just for you," suggests Nick. "I heard they keep sheets of Cetra music in the Great Library of Salem, but maybe we can find them elsewhere. I want to, like, remix them and make them into new songs! They might not be exactly the same, but they should sound similar!"

> You give Nick a high five.  
You high-five Nick's hand, and nod.  
"That'd be amazing," you reply.  
Nick smiles, and you continue to walk to the hotel.  
Nick takes off his headphones and carefully puts them on you.  
"Dear Aerith, I present to you my number one childhood banger! The one I used to adore as a kid... Are you ready?"  
"Yes," you say, as Nick begins to play.  
The opening of "Dragostea Din Tei" by O-Zone starts playing, and you let out a chuckle.  
"You remembered this," you say.  
"Of course!" smiles Nick. "Everyone who has heard that "numa-numa-yay" vibe will remember it forever!"  
You chuckle, and nod.  
The song quickly speeds up, along with the beat. Nick begins to gyrate to the music, as you can't help but do the same.

> You take off the headphones and pass them to Nick.  
Nick takes the headphones, and smiles at you.  
"Honestly..." he says, as you walk off to your hotel. "I don't know why you decided to go out with me. I'm not nearly as funny or charming as I used to be."  
You shake your head, and smirk.  
"You're fine," you reply.  
"In any case, I'm glad we're able to do this together," continues Nick. "I couldn't have asked for a better girlfriend."

> You say "The Planet brought us together..."  
"What was the first song you ever sang?" you ask.  
"Um... It's a long story."  
"We have all night," you reply.  
"Okay," begins Nick, taking a deep breath. "As a kid, I used to like singing. This was the exact reason behind my parents choosing a music-specializing elementary school for me. I used to sing in a school's choir... funny stuff, haha. I didn't really enjoy it, as I liked performing solo. The first showdown of my vocal capacities happened in 2004, when I was only four. I would sing to my relatives at my dad's birthday party. The song in request was... uhh..."  
Nick frowns, trying to remember the song's name, but then continues:  
"Yes! It was 'Riders on the Storm' by The Doors!" he says with a smile. "I nailed it, and they loved it, of course. From that moment, I was already a beast in front of the crowd's eyes."  
You nod, and keep on walking.

> You say "Myself, I was forced to the Christian school. Cetra hadn't obtained that level of recognition in mid-2000s, and my mother always wanted me to be as spiritual as all Cetra must be. Thanks to her, I'm still quite a perfect paragon of spirituality... Though I don't quite understand what's the thing behind Christianity that made this religion so influential?"  
"Oh, I don't know," Nick says, shrugging.

> You say "See, the Cetra have always believed in no gods, nor any deities. We all share the same belief system, centered around the Planet, the Lifestream and the Promised Land..."  
Nick nods in agreement.  
"Yeah... I can recall that," Nick says in calm voice. He rolls his eyes, trying to remember something, then closes them and continues: "I remembered the quote about the Cetra."  
Nick takes a deep breath and speaks:  
"We who are born of the planet, with her we speak. Her flesh we shape. Unto her promised land shall we one day return. By her loving grace and providence may we take our place in paradise."  
You nod in response.

> You say "We who are born of the planet, with her we speak. Her flesh we shape. Unto her promised land shall we one day return. By her loving grace and providence may we take our place in paradise..."  
You nod.  
"Hm, that's from the Cetra's most sacred poem... I can say it's quite beautiful," you say.  
Nick stares at the sky, smiling.  
"Passed on through time and space, from one generation to another..." he notes quietly. "Aerith, you really do have a wonderful voice. I remember the first time I heard you sing. I was so captivated. I couldn't look away. I felt as if you were singing just for me."

> You smile slightly embarassed and hug Nick.  
"And I felt the same way when I heard you sing for the first time," you reply, smiling.  
Nick hugs you back.  
"We're lucky to have each other," he says.  
"Indeed," you smile.  
After a moment, you and Nick let go of the hug, and continue walking towards the road.  
"Sorry for that," Samara says, "but you two look so cute together!.."  
Samara emits a sad sigh, before continuing: "...just like Cid and I would look like, should he be here with us..."  
"He is still with us. He returned to the Planet, and at the same time he's in our memories..." you reply, with a touch of sadness in your voice.  
"He was a true hero, Samara," says Nick, putting his hand on Samara's shoulder. "He died in the darkness, so we all could see the light..."  
Samara nods slowly, then continues walking.  
"I'm really happy for you two. You make a lovely couple," she says with a nod, then continues walking.  
Eventually, you reach your hotel and step inside. The three of you take the elevator to the third floor. Once the elevator stops and its doors open, you enter the third floor hallway.  
Samara stops by her room and waves you goodnight before disappearing in her room. You and Nick enter your room and close the door, leaving you alone with him.  
"Well... that went well," you say with a smile.  
"Indeed," he replies, smiling.  
"Do you want to watch a movie?"

> You say "Honestly, not now... Nick, I want to ask you one thing..."  
"Mm?"

> You say "You never told me about your mother. Can you tell me something about her?"  
He stares at you for a second, smiling.  
"If you're really interested, of course," he replies.  
"Please," you reply. "I want to know everything about you."  
"My mother has always been - and still is - a very strong woman. She is a strong-willed and hard one, the one who would always achieve her goals. Maybe because she was from a military family, or maybe because of her work... I can't really say this, as it's classified, but my mother works for the SCP Foundation... and has done for more than twenty some odd years."  
He lets out a deep breath, as if extremely tired. Then, he continues.  
"She's an MTF operative... MTF stands for Mobile Task Force. These are, like, special troops that deal with special events in and outside of the Foundation. Mostly take over the SCPs that are to be contained, sometimes running cover-up operations and stuff... Hers is MTF Lambda-4 "Birdwatchers"."  
"What's so special about it?" you ask.  
"It's the MTF that deals with anomalous avian beings, as well as other airborne biological anomalies."  
"That sounds like a really dangerous job."  
He shrugs, then smiles.  
"It's been 27 years since she joined SCP..." he begins, "and to this day I don't know what she does exactly... But rest assured, she does it well."  
You nod, looking down.

> You say "You're like her, you know..."  
He looks at you, smiling.  
"How so?" he asks.  
"You have her eyes."  
He smiles, and nods.

> You say "...and you're as strong-willed and selfless as she is. You would always sacrifice yourself for what is dear to you. I know it for sure, for my parents were friends with yours."  
He smiles, nodding.  
"Well, that's good to know," he replies.  
"You're a good person, Nick."  
He smiles, chuckling.  
"I try to be," he says.  
Nick sighs.  
"My mother's favorite saying was "We die in the dark, so you can live in the light". An unofficial motto of the SCP Foundation in its entirety."  
"Well, at the very least, she made you appreciate the light," you reply.  
He smiles.  
"Let me show you something," says Nick, taking off his t-shirt and turning back to you. You see a tattoo on the top of Nick's back: a winged logo of the SCP Foundation, with a sword running in the middle. Right under the image there is a single line of text: "Secure. Contain. Protect."  
"That's beautiful," you comment.  
"Yeah, she did good work," says Nick, putting his shirt back on.

> You say "Secure, contain, protect..."  
He nods.  
"That's right. We save lives, contain SCPs, and protect the innocent."  
"Sounds about right."  
"So, now you know my secret," he says. "There's another one."  
Nick extends his left arm. There's another tattoo on his left forearm: a simple line of text that reads: "WE DIE IN THE DARK, SO YOU CAN SEE THE LIGHT."  
"I inherited my mother's credo," he says. "Even though I'm a Cetra, I'm born to be a warrior. That's what my father told me."  
"What does it mean?" you ask.  
"It means," he says, extending his arm again, "that I'd rather die than let anyone hurt you."

> You say "We die in the dark, so you can live in the light... Nick, you make me believe in you even more. So selfless..."  
He smiles, smiling.  
"Well, that's good. Because if I wasn't selfless, we wouldn't be here right now."  
Nick turns his head, and you can clearly see a long scar right above his right eye, right underneath his hairline.  
"But that's not my secret," he continues. "That's your secret."  
"What do you mean?" you ask.  
He smiles, shrugging his shoulders.  
"Got this scar protecting you, Aerith. Near miss with a bullet. Back then, in 2019..." he pauses, looking at you. "...I just wanted you to know how much I ...love you. You're everything to me. I'd die for you."  
You don't know what to say.

> You say "...you would die in the dark, so I could live in the light..."  
He smiles, nodding.  
"From now on," says Nick, "I shall always secure, contain and protect you from all that may harm you. I will die in the dark, so you can live in the light. And if one of us dies, the Lifestream will bring us back together again. We both shall see the Promised Land, for we are the Cetra."  
You smile back at him.  
"Then, let us live in the light together, my love," you reply.

> You pull Nick closer and kiss him passionately.  
He hugs you back, kissing you back.  
"For as long as we both shall live."  
The two of you kiss, and touch each other as the world fades away, and all that's left is the two of you.  
Nick kisses you on the neck, and you feel his cold lips on your warm skin.  
"Do you remember our first kiss?" he asks, kissing you softly on the lips.  
"I'll never forget it," you smile.  
Nick pulls back and reaches for his pocket, taking out a futuristic-looking black plastic capsule.  
"Open it," he says, gently smiling.  
You open the capsule and take out a ring. It's a silver band with a small, black stone in the middle.  
"It's a symbol of our love," he smiles, guiding your finger into the ring.  
"Aerith..." Nick begins. "Aerith, will... will you marry me?.."  
You smile, and nod. "Yes," you answer, as a tear escapes down your cheek.  
"I...I love you."  
"And I love you," you reply.

> You suggest going to sleep.  
You both kiss for a long time, and after what feels like an hour, you begin to feel sleepy.  
Nick takes off all his clothes, except for his underwear, and climbs in the bed, falling asleep almost instantly. You climb under the blanket, and look at your soon-to-be husband. He looks so peaceful sleeping there, like a small child.

> You pull Nick closer and kiss him goodnight.  
You take your dress off, and pull him closer to you. You both begin to feel sleepy again.  
"Goodnight, my love," you whisper in his ear.  
"Good night, Aerith..." he replies, his eyes nearly falling shut.  
You stare at him for a moment, feeling the love you genuinely have for him burning your chest, and you close your eyes to sleep.

> You gently move your hand around Nick's shoulder, sleeping.  
You look at your soon-to-be-husband, asleep in front of you. You trace your fingers along his face, feeling his short hair. He begins to move a little, but doesn't wake up.

> You exhale warmly and drift off deeper to sleep.  
Your eyes slowly open and you take a deep breath, breathing in his scent. You smile, and bring your arms around him, hugging him tightly.  
In your sleep, you hear music. A faint sound of a voice singing in the distance. Someone sings "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith. You recognize the voice as that of your soon-to-be husband.  
That was a good one.  
You take your arms away from him and pick him up, looking at him. You trace a finger along his face, smiling.

> You say "I'd still miss you, babe... and I don't want to miss a thing"  
You trace your fingers along his face, smiling.  
"I love you, Nick."  
You look at him, seeing the peaceful face of someone deeply asleep.

> You think for a second what would your life be like without Nick.  
You sigh, a smile on your face.

> You lay down and continue sleeping.  
You look at him for a moment, before laying down and drifting deeper into sleep.  
The next morning you two wake up in an embrace. Nick stretches in his sleep, waking up. You smile.  
"Morning," he yawns.  
"Oh, good morning." You smile.  
He smiles and kisses you on the cheek.  
"How about we go to the beach?" Nick suggests. "I bet we deserve it after all we've been through..."  
You smile, nodding.

> You say "Good idea! Hold on for a while, gotta put on my new swimsuit - and then I'm ready!"  
You jump out of bed and quickly get dressed in a normal swimsuit, the one that you chose to bring, a red one.

> You tell Nick you'd wait for him outside while he gets dressed and ready to go.  
Nick nods.  
"I'll be out in a minute, then." He replies.  
You nod, and walk outside into the hallway.

> You meet Samara in the hallway.  
You walk outside into the hallway, finding Samara sitting there. She's wearing a black tank top and denim shorts, her legs wrapped in bandages that go halfway up her thigh.

> You say "Morning, Samara. Are you coming to the beach with us?"  
"No." She says bluntly.  
You sigh in response.  
"Just thought I'd ask..." You reply in a disappointed tone.  
"Can we talk for a moment?"  
"Um... Yeah, sure."  
"Aerith," Samara begins. "You and I have been friends for almost an eternity, you know. So may I ask you for a favor?"  
"Hm... I guess," you reply.  
"Please cover me. Tell Nick I've left for Tokyo, okay? I need to go to Ayers Rock. I must recover Cid's body, so it could be transported back to Seattle for burial. I'll leave the two of you to enjoy the rest and yourselves... I'm checking out in a couple hours. If I die out there, you'll know..."  
Samara gives you a strong hug, before pulling away.  
"Take this. It's yours now," says Samara, passing you the White Materia. "The White Materia has chosen you tonight..."  
"Thanks," you reply, taking the White Materia. "Samara, stop being so cryptic. What's going on?"  
"Nevermind. Just take care of Nick, okay?"  
"I will," you reply, although she doesn't answer.  
You give Samara a warm, friendly hug, and feel her tears roll down onto your t-shirt.  
"Goodbye, Samara..."  
Samara shakes her head to the side.  
"No, not goodbye, Aerith. See you on the other side..."

> You say "See you in the Lifestream. Or in Seattle"  
"See you in the Lifestream. Or in Seattle," you say, not entirely sure which you'd prefer.  
Nick exits the room, ready to go.  
"Aerith, what's up?" he asks. "You look kinda... disappointed?"  
"Oh, uh, nothing."  
You think about how to explain it. You decide the best way is in parts.

> You say "Samara needs to leave for Tokyo. Asked me to say goodbye from her"  
"Samara needs to leave for Tokyo. Asked me to say goodbye from her."  
Nick nods.  
"Uhh... That doesn't seem right," he says. "She'd warn me too..."  
"I think she was just being nice and cryptic. I think you'd be better off just asking her."  
"Do you... Know why she wants to go?"  
You shrug.

> You say "Okay, I'll tell. She's gone to Ayers Rock. Yeah, to that Umbrella HQ we took down. She has to recover Cid's body and transport it to Seattle to get it buried... "  
"Oh. Okay..."  
"She asked me to tell you as well."  
Nick nods, seemingly satisfied with your answer.  
"I'm ready to go," he says. "You?"  
"Yep!"

> You take Nick's hand and walk towards the elevator.  
You take Nick's hand and walk towards the elevator. The doors open as you both enter, and the two of you enter an empty cabin.

> You say "Going to the beach with you was my dream ever since we've met"  
"Oh?" asks Nick, raising an eyebrow. "What were your other dreams?"  
You hesitate for a moment, before deciding to be completely honest.

> You say "I've always dreamed that we'd become a family one day. And soon it will happen..."  
"That's good," says Nick, smiling. "We'll make it happen."  
The elevator doors open as you finish speaking, and the two of you exit the elevator.

> You walk out of the hotel, holding Nick's hand.  
You turn to look at the hotel's entrance, before noticing a black van pulling up to the entrance of the hotel.  
As the van stops, its backdoor opens and several soldiers in black tactical gear climb out, followed by a tall muscular blonde woman in her late fourties. The woman wears the same tactical gear, but no helmet. Her eyes are covered with sunglasses.  
She turns to the two of you.  
Nick gasps in shock.  
"Mom?.." he asks.  
The woman walks slowly towards the two of you.  
"Hello, Nick. And... Aerith? What are you doing here?"

> You say "Ah, hello, Mrs. Maxwell. We're going to the beach now. Vacation and stuff..."  
The woman stares at you for a few seconds, seemingly in confusion.  
"It's Lieutenant Maxwell, Aerith. Remembered? Lieutenant Maxwell, mobile task force Lambda-4. In other cases, you may call me Irene."  
"Oh, right. Sorry, then."  
"Don't be. You have to keep those kinds of details in your head."  
Aerith looks at the woman nervously, before addressing her.  
"All questions aside, Aerith. I know Nick has proposed to you."  
Irene turns to Nick.  
"Nick, I'm content with your choice. Please, be nice to Aerith. Now, I must warn you to avoid this area within 6-hours time window. Can't say more. Good luck, guys. Take care."  
"Thanks, mom... I mean, Lieutenant Maxwell," Nick replies with deep respect in his voice.  
The woman stares at him for a few moments, before turning back to soldiers.  
"Alright, boys. Begin deployment!"  
By that time you have already left the site and now walk towards the beach, with Nick holding your hand.  
"Wow," Nick says. "I can't believe it. She really is my mom."  
You nod, smiling.

> You say "Now I saw her in action. You should really be proud of her!.. How old is she, you say?"  
"She's 48 now. Yes, 48," Nick answers.  
"Wow. Seems young. She looks younger than that," you say.  
"She's like a '40s-type chick. Tall, slender, long blonde hair, piercing blue eyes."

> You say "...and an assault rifle. If I saw her for the first time, I wouldn't even think she's actually your mom, Nick! Or I'd think you're the son of Sarah Connor herself!"  
Nick laughs.  
"Yeah, she's pretty badass," he says.  
You arrive at the beach, and find it all but empty.  
Only a few people seem to be here at the beach.

> You say "So few people here... But that's great! No one will disturb us!"  
"Exactly," says Nick. "Okay, let's walk now."  
Nick holds your hand as the two of you start to stroll down the beach.  
Shortly, Nick finds a nice place to sunbathe and drops down a beach mat, large enough for the two of you to fit on.  
You lay down on it, looking up at the clear blue sky and the small white clouds.  
take off your t-shirt and stay only in a swimsuit.  
Nick does the same, while you feel the sun's warmth on your skin.  
You lay under the sun, basking in its heat.  
Nick looks at you.  
"You know," he says, "I never really thought I'd ever be able to sunbathe with my girlfriend."  
He grins.  
"But here I am, doing it."  
He pauses for a moment.  
"Another dream has come true," he says, smiling.  
You bring your hands to the back of your head and stretch, feeling the sun's warmth on your back.  
"Yeah," you reply, "another one has."

> You touch Nick's ear with your lips and whisper "Why not to go swimming?"  
Nick looks at you.  
"I can think of no bad reason not to do that," he replies.  
He leans over and kisses you, and you feel the sun's warmth on your skin.

> You stand up and sprint towards the ocean edge.  
The two of you walk towards the waterfront.  
Still holding hands, the two of you walk through the sand, towards the ocean.

> You step into the warm water and swim away fast.  
You quickly swim away from the shore, past a few rocks and coral.  
The water is surprisingly warm, and it feels good on your skin.

> You say "Hey Nick, catch me if you can!"  
"Ha, ha," he replies.  
Nick puts both hands in the air and dives underwater.  
You dive down after him.  
You swim underwater for a moment, and then pop up to breathe.  
Nick emerges from the water, hugging you gently  
"Caught you!" he says, smiling.  
You swim underwater after taking a breath.  
You move slowly through the water, until finally you break the surface and pop up to breathe.  
You see Nick swimming towards you.

> You swim towards Nick and hug him tightly.  
You swim over towards Nick, who is now only a few feet away.  
He swims over towards you and puts his arms around you.  
His breath on your skin is warm and sent thrills down your spine.

> You kiss Nick gently and lovingly.  
His lips feel nice on your.  
You kiss him passionately, the feeling of his lips makes you feel good.  
He holds you tight, and you both kiss for a long time.

> You say "Let's just stop and share these moments..."  
You kiss him one more time, and then you pull away.  
"You're right," you say with a smile. "We should just stop and enjoy the moment."  
"You're right," he replies.  
He leans in and kisses you again, wrapping his arms around you.  
You feel the sun on your skin and kiss for a long time.  
The ocean water feels cool on your skin.  
"When we come back home to Seattle, I'll write a song about this very moment," Nick says.  
"I'd like that," you reply.  
The two of you kiss again briefly, and then you swim over towards the shore.  
You emerge from the water, looking out at the clear blue water.  
Nick follows you, swimming out.  
"I'd like that song to play on our wedding ceremony," Nick continues. "And I'm absolutely sure it'll top the Spotify charts!"  
"You're a true artist, Nick," you say.  
The two of you laugh, and begin walking towards the shore.

> You walk out onto the shore.  
You walk up the shore, and up onto the sand.  
You sit on the soft sand, your legs dangling in the water.  
The sun is shining overhead, and the warm wind blows.  
"I might not be the next Mike Perry. I might not be the second Kygo," says Nick, "but I leave a part of me in all music I make. Especially if I make it for you, Aerith."  
"I'm glad to have been your muse," you reply. "And I'm glad to have been your girlfriend."  
He leans forward and kisses you, and for a moment, all is right with the world.

> You say "You're a DJ of my heart. You pluck the strings of my tender soul itself... Love you, Nick, I love you, for you are my world."  
Nick smiles at you. "I love you, for you give me reason to survive. My life without your love is not worth living."  
You reach out and touch his cheek. His eyes shine up at you.

> You say "N-Nick?.. Are you... are you crying?"  
He smiles, nodding slowly as he wipes away a tear.  
You reach out and grab his hand, squeezing tightly as he lifts the other hand and wipes away a single teardrop from his cheek.  
"Aerith, I... I would never become what I am now, if not for you... Thank you."  
"Oh, Nick," you say, squeezing his hand. "I'm so glad I was there for you."  
He smiles again, and the two of you embrace into a long, loving kiss.  
The cool breeze from the ocean blows, rustling your hair.  
With the two of you embracing into a long, loving kiss, you feel as if the whole world has stopped.

> You carefully pull back and put on your t-shirt.  
You pull back, your face just centimetres away from his.  
"I'm glad I was there for you," you repeat, as he nods slowly.

> You put on your t-shirt and stand up, ready to go.  
You stand, and take his hand.  
"We should go back," you say.  
"Yes. We should," he nods. "It's getting hot here."

> You say "Yeah, and I don't want to get scorched"  
Nick laughs.  
"I'm sure you can handle it," he replies, packing the beach mat and taking on his backpack and his t-shirt.  
You both begin walking back along the beach, and eventually you reach the main road again.

> You smile happily, as Nick holds your hand.  
You smile at each other, holding hands as you walk down the road.  
As you walk, you watch a group of seagulls fight over a string cheese.

> You say "Next time, bring your GoPro!"  
He bursts out laughing, shaking his head.  
"I wish I had thought to bring it," he replies, smiling. "I would have had so much footage of you."

> You say "Of us."  
He smiles.  
"I got footage of you, though," he says, pulling out his phone.  
He plays a video back, and you can instantly see that footage had been taken from behind you as you walked.

> You laugh and gently slap Nick on his butt.  
He pauses the video, twisting around as he looks at you.  
"Yeah, that's gotta be the best angle I had," he says with a laugh, as you giggle.

> You take Nick's hand and continue walking to the hotel.  
"Aww, come on! I didn't even get to use it for the title screen!"  
He bursts out laughing again, as you gently punch his arm. The two of you continue walking down the road.  
Shortly after, you reach the hotel and enter your room. You step inside first, intending to be the first in the shower. You get in the shower and start relaxing in the hot water.

> You leave the shower and tell Nick he may enter.  
You step out of the shower and grab a towel. You walk out into the room, to find that Nick is standing there, waiting to be let in.

> You say "Get in, deejay"  
"Awwwww," he says, pouting.  
You burst out laughing again, as he rolls his eyes and gets in.  
Nick closes the door of the bathroom and begins taking a shower. You reach for an iPad that's lying on the desk and load up GarageBand, wanting to write some music while Nick's in the shower.

> You put down the iPad.  
After about a half hour, Nick finishes showering and gets dressed into his clothes from this morning. He comes out of the bathroom, yawning and stretching.  
"Let's just go downtown, eh?" he suggests.  
"Yeah," you agree. "Let's go."  
The two of you exit the hotel and walk along the road towards the center of Brisbane. You continue your walk past cafes, gift shops, and clothing stores.  
Soon, you've reached the Queen street shopping district, filled with boutique stores and stands.

> You turn towards the nearest clothes store.  
You walk into the first clothes store you see, and browse the selection of shirts. You find a blue button-up shirt and look at the price.

> You pick a bright orange t-shirt with a fancy design and ask Nick if it would suit you.  
Nick laughs and points at one of the shirts with an angry-looking wolf printed on it.  
"What about this one?" he asks.  
"Haha, no. I think mine looks better," you reply.  
Nick chooses a plain turquoise hoodie with a grid pattern.  
"I'm taking this," he says. "And the size is just fine!"  
You choose a plain black t-shirt and a bright yellow one with an oversized graphic print.  
You walk up to the cashier and pay for the clothes.  
Nick pays for his hoodie, and the two of you leave the store only to visit another one. You spot a pair of skateboarding shorts that you would definitely kill to have, so you grab them.

> You go to the fitting room and try the skateboarding shorts on.  
You walk into the fitting room and try the shorts on. As soon as you step into them, you know they're the ones. You step out of the fitting room and face yourself in the mirror, smiling.

> You say "Yeah, that's what I needed most!"  
You leave the fitting room and hand the cashier the items.  
"Do you want these to fold or something?" she asks.

> You pay for the shorts and leave the store.  
"No, that's fine. Those are fine," you say, walking out of the store.  
You and Nick reach the hotel a few minutes later.  
You walk inside and up to your room.

> You say "Wait for me here, I'll change my clothes..."  
"I'll go with you," says a voice.  
You turn around to see a red-haired girl, smiling. Her eyes are completely black, like the inside of an eye that's gone bad.You close the door to your hotel room and quickly change into the clothes you bought. Then, you walk out of the room.  
As soon as you enter the hallway, you see Nick standing there.  
"Aerith, you look absolutely breathtaking!" he says, remarking your new style.  
"Thank you," you reply. "You don't look so bad yourself."  
The two of you walk to the elevator, and enter it.  
The elevator doors close as you step on.

> You say "Maybe let's leave it all here and go back home, to Seattle?"  
Nick smiles and puts his arm around your shoulders.  
"I've kinda grown homesick. Want to go back to our place..."  
You smile.  
"I would love to."

> You hug Nick.  
You hug Nick.  
"Let's go home," he smiles.  
You smile and nod, leaning into his shoulder.  
The elevator stops and the two of you exit to the lobby. You then exit leave the hotel and walk along the streets, holding hands with Nick. You arrive at the beach and sit down on the rock.

> You say "Sometimes I miss you, even though you're here with me..."  
"Yours is a special bond, a bond that nobody else shares," he smiles. "You're my other half."  
"Do you really think so?" you ask, smiling.  
"I do."

> You pull Nick into a deep passionate kiss.  
Nick pulls you into a deep, passionate kiss. You wrap your arms around his neck and hold him tightly against you.

> You say "Let's stop adventuring when we get home? No more risks, no more adventures, no more quests... Just a happy creative life of a couple..."  
"That sounds amazing. I'm in," says Nick.  
"I'd like that," you smile.  
The two of you kiss again, and hold each other tightly for a long time.

> You get up and pull Nick up, saying "Time to go"  
You walk along the beach, pulling Nick with you.  
Nick gets up and looks at you tenderly.  
"I'm sorry..." he says, tears in his eyes.

> You wipe Nick's tears off.  
You reach out and wipe the tears off his face.  
"Everything's going to be fine, I promise," you say.  
Nick smiles and nods.  
"Honestly, I would like to give up adventuring too. Give up and live a normal life as a DJ. With you... Aerith, do you agree to give up adventuring either?"  
"I think that would be a good life to have," you agree.  
Nick smiles and nods.  
"Good. We can do that then!" he says.  
Nick takes your hand and leads you towards the street. You walk along the street, and eventually, you arrive at the inn where you're staying.  
"We should get some rest. We have a long journey tomorrow," says Nick.

> You nod and hug Nick.  
You hug Nick tightly, and he hugs you back.  
"I love you," he says softly.  
"I love you too," you reply.

> You say "You mean the world to me"  
"You really do. You're my world."  
Nick smiles and hugs you again.  
"Good night, my love."  
"Good night, Nick."

> You take off your clothes and go to sleep.  
You lie in the bed, thinking. You think about how, despite everything, you genuinely love Nick. You look at him, asleep right next to you.  
Nick pulls you closer into his warm embrace, as you smile. You close your eyes and lie back, thinking of nothing but the comfort of his arms and the serenity of slumber.  
You sleep peacefully.  
The next morning you wake up to Nick's gentle voice.  
"Aerith?" he asks.  
You turn onto your side and smile at him.  
"Good morning," you reply.  
Nick smiles warmly and kisses you.  
"How did you sleep?"

> You say "I always sleep well while in your hug, Nick..."  
Nick smiles.  
"Come on. We should get going," he says, hopping out of bed.  
Nick gets up and quickly dresses into his clothes, before grabbing his backpack.

> You get out of bed and get dressed.  
You quickly get dressed and grab your things, moving towards the door where Nick stands. Once you get there, the two of you take one more look at each other.  
"Well, this is it," says Nick.

> You say "Ready to go?"  
"Yeah," Nick replies.  
"Let's roll!"  
Nick smiles and quickly kisses you one last time as the pair of you head out into the world.  
Nick locks the room door, and the two of you head to the elevator.  
You press the button for the first floor.  
"We should probably head out," you say.  
"Yeah, I know," replies Nick.  
After a few minutes of waiting around, the elevator doors open.

> You step out to the hotel lobby.  
Once in the hotel lobby, you spot the hotel desk. A man sits behind the desk, reading a newspaper. He looks up at you with annoyance.  
"What?" he asks.

> You say "We would like to check out"  
"What?" replies the man.  
"We would like to check out," you reply.  
"What number are you?" asks the man, looking at a paper.

> You say "Room 305. Aerith Gainsborough and Nick Maxwell."  
The man checks the list behind him and nods.  
"Yes, you can," he says, standing up.  
Nick gives back the keycards to the front desk and the pair of you head to the exit.  
"Thanks for staying with us!" says the man as you leave the hotel.  
You step outside and look around. A taxi sits by the door.  
"Hey, let's get a taxi to take us to the airport," says Nick.  
"Yeah!" you reply.

> You get into the taxi.  
The taxi takes off towards the airport. As you sit in the backseat, you notice a postcard on the seat. You pick it up and look at it.  
The postcard depicts a streetscape of an unknown city with its futuristic architecture looking like something out of a cyberpunk movie.

> You turn the postcard rear side towards you.  
You flip the postcard over and see a printed message.  
The message is written in red marker.  
"Dear Nick and Aerith, I wish the two of you happy life. In the name of the Planet, I bless the two of you. May the two of you live long, happy and healthy lives together. May the two of you love each other and stay that way. Best Regards, Yours truly."

> You say "Hey Nick... Do you know who could drop this postcard?"  
"I wish I did," replies Nick.  
"Do you have any guesses?" you ask.  
Nick pauses before replying.  
"Some sort of organization?"  
You shrug.

> You put the postcard into your shorts pocket.  
"Guess we'll find out," you say.  
The taxi drops you off at the airport. You pay the driver and you head inside to check in your luggage.  
Nick turns to you and says "Aerith, do you know why the flights between the US and Australia take over 20 hours and never cross the Pacific Ocean?"  
"No," you reply.  
"Because of the international date line," he says. "Between Alaska and Chukotka, roght along the Bering strait, there lies a 180° meridian. This one is called the international date line. It's the area where dates change. And if you cross the international date line eastwards, you'll have to set the date to one day prior. Basically, if there's midnight in that area, the day is over in Chukotka, but it begins in Alaska."  
Nick finishes his explanation saying "That's why no flight will ever cross the Pacific."

> You say "Ah Nick, you're so smart. Must have been an excellent student at school and graduated with all A+, huh?"  
"Ha-ha... I don't really remember," says Nick with a smile.  
You shrug and continue to check in your luggage.  
"Actually, I had mixed A and B grades when I finished school," Nick says. "More B's, though..."  
You laugh.  
"Well, we might as well head on to the seats then."  
"Yeah, why not?" Nick approves.  
You both walk towards the gate where your flight is to depart from.  
The terminal is crowded, but you manage to find empty seats next to each other on the plane.

> You say "Nick?"  
"Yeah?" he replies.

> You say "Do you miss our home?.."  
"Yeah, I do," answers Nick.  
"Me too," replies you.  
You look at Nick and smile. He smiles back.

> You say "Twenty four hours until we get back home, Nick... Twenty four hours till the end of our adventure. Twenty four hours till the placid life we deserve."  
"Yeah, you're right," says Nick.  
You nod your head. You are silent for a bit.  
"Aerith?" asks Nick.  
"Hm?"  
"Do you believe we will be able to carry our love throughout the decades?"  
"Yes," you reply without hesitation.  
"Yes, I do too..."  
"Passengers for Delta Airlines, flight number DA1751 to Seattle, the boarding for your flight has begun. Please proceed to Gate 28," an automated voice comes over the speaker.  
"Yeah, we're going to head on down to the gate," says Nick.

> You get up and walk towards the gate.  
You walk towards the gate as the plane is called. You walk down the jetway and onto the plane. You find two empty seats and sit down next to each other.

> You cover Nick's hand with your own and intertwine your fingers.  
The flight to the US is a long one. Twenty four hours later you touch down in Seattle and go through customs. You are exhausted but too excited to care. You exit the plane and join the long line of taxis waiting to take you to your hotel.  
Nick holds your hand as you walk towards the taxi stand.  
Nick offers to catch a bus, which will take you two downtown. "And from there we'll be able to walk back home" he says.  
You nod and get into a bus. You take a seat by the window and exhale calmly.  
"Can't believe we're finally back home."  
"Yeah, this is great. Just great." says Nick, quietly.  
You turn around in your seat and stare at him. You smile gently.  
"Just great," he repeats, looking out the window.  
The bus stops and the doors open. You exit the bus and begin walking towards the apartment building you have an apartment in.

> You stop and hug Nick warmly.  
You wrap your arms around him and squeeze him tightly. He hugs you back.  
"I'm so happy to be back home!" you say happily.  
"Me too." says Nick.  
Nick looks at the sky, then touches your ear with his lips and whispers "Aerith, promise me you'll never forget me when I'm gone..."  
You nod and smile.  
He kisses you on the cheek and says "I love you."  
You turn your head and press your lips against his, for just a moment.

> You begin to sing through the kiss.  
You sing softly through the wet, passionate lips of your boyfriend. The two of you hold each other deeply, and then slowly pull away.  
"Thank you," whispers Nick, smiling.  
Nick takes your hand and leads you home. As you walk to your apartment building, you reflect on the events of the past weeks. You think about the Eternal Calm and respawning. You think of Cid and his heroic death. You think of how you, Nick and Samara put the end to Umbrella Corporation, defeated both Jenova and Sephiroth. And of course you think of Nick's marriage proposal.  
The two of you enter the building and head to the 24th floor. You put your key into the door and open it.  
"Well, this is it," says Nick, looking around.

> You say "We're finally home. We made it through!"  
"We sure did."  
You put down your bags and turn to Nick. You hold his hands in yours.

> You say "So... Consider this the end of our adventures?"  
Nick stares at you, stroking his chin.  
"I suppose so. I mean, that's what I wanted, right?"  
You nod eagerly and smile.  
"Yeah, that's what I thought."  
"Good. Then, Aerith, from now on we shall live a normal life. We're not the only ones on the Earth to go for adventures and save the world. We'll live a calm and happy life, and may the Planet bless us!"  
You smile and embrace him tightly. You look into his brown eyes and feel a deep, primal feeling well up inside you.

> You whisper in Nick's ear "That's why I chose you, and I will marry you for sure. Whenever the time's right."  
Nick smiles and hugs you again.  
"Well, I don't have any particular fancy, but please don't wait too long."  
You smile and agree on it.  
You look into Nick's eyes and realize that your life without adventures will still be great. For the whole 22 years of your life you experienced more than most do in twice the time. But you know, there's many more adventures to have over the course of your life.  
"I love you," you whisper in his ear.  
"I love you too, Aerith," he replies.  
He kisses you, and for a moment your whole heart flutters as the two of you embrace with a passion that has lasted nearly a century.

> You say "Embrace the darkness that's within me..."  
Your hands find his head, and as the two of you embrace, your eyes meet. The look in his eyes is a mixture of lust, desire and sheer joy.  
"I can't see the darkness in you, Aerith. I just can't," he whispers, kissing you.  
His fingers trace your collar, and you moan, desire coursing through your veins.  
Suddenly, the two of you hear a knock on the door.  
"Sorry, gotta open up."  
Nick pulls away and opens the door. There are three soldiers wearing black uniform, helmets and gas masks standing in front of your apartment. All three of them are holding submachine guns pointed down.  
"Aerith Gainsborough?" asks one of the operatives, staring directly at you.  
"Yes?"  
"I'm sure you know why we're here."  
"Please... what's going on?"  
"You two are called to arms to secure, contain and protect - again," he continues. "Five minutes for you two to prepare. Rendezvous at the parking lot."  
The soldier puts away his walkie-talkie as the others turn around and march out of sight.  
"What's going on, Nick?"  
"I... don't know, but we have to go."  
Nick walks into his room and returns holding your pump-action shotgun. He hands the shotgun and a box of shells to you, and you grab it and check the gun is loaded.  
"I'll be right back."  
You enter the bathroom and look into the mirror.

> You exit the bathroom and take an armor vest.  
Walking out of the bathroom, you quickly take an armor vest off the back of the toilet seat and put it on. Then, grabbing your shotgun, you leave the bathroom.

> You say "Let's go, Nick."  
Nick is standing, staring out of the window.  
"We need to go," he says. "Our five minutes are up."  
"We need to go," you reply.  
The two of you head to the elevator. As it opens, Nick pushes the button for the first floor. "Time to play Bonnie and Clyde again," he chuckles, as the elevator doors close shut.  
The two of you exit the elevator and begin walking to Nick's car, a late-model Ford Focus.  
A black van with tinted windows and white letters "S.C.P" is standing at the parking lot. The operatives open the doors and order you to get inside. You and Nick sit in the back, as all the other operatives pile into the front seats.

> You say "So what is our mission?"  
The van doors close shut, and the vehicle pulls out of the parking lot.  
"You are part of an elite counter-terrorism unit," says the man in the passenger seat. "Your mission is to protect important figures, buildings and other areas of interest from terrorist attacks. You receive your orders through the O5 Council."  
Nick asks what are you two to doon this mission.  
"They will explain you once at the base."  
No sooner have you finished the sentence, you arriving at the safe-house. The vehicle pulls into a parking place and stops. All operatives get off the van, and you're lead into the building by an operative.  
"Welcome to MTF Sigma-3 'Bibliographers'," says the operative as the walk into the building. "As you might have guessed, we're a squad of library cops."  
The inside of the safe-house is better than you expected.  
"We are dealing with a dangerous international group known as The Serpent Hand. These are savage terrorists who wish to bind the world to their will using various anomalous items we call SCPs."  
"What's a Sc-"  
"Shut it, you!" says the operative, looking around.  
You are led into a room with a large table. A man and a woman are sitting at the table.

TO BE CONTINUED...


End file.
